Hearthstone’s next expansion, Journey To Un’Goro , brings the card game to a prehistoric crater where elementals and dinosaurs run wild. Though we don’t know many cards from the set, there have been a few reveals, ranging from the cute Pyros all the way to the towering Verdant Longneck . There was one card, called Volcano , that many fans (myself included) immediately wrote off as trash. However, after doing some thinking and reading a very convincing reddit thread, I’ve convinced myself that it’s one of the strongest cards in the Shaman arsenal.
For those of you out of the Un’Goro loop, Volcano is a five-mana Shaman spell that deals 15 damage to all minions on the board with an Overload of two. When I first saw the card, all I could think was how it would just destroy my own minions and leave my opponent’s board perfectly healthy. The RNG gods have never favored me before, why would they start after this expansion?
If you don’t think of Volcano as a board clear, but instead as single target removal, it changes everything. If your opponent has a Ysera or Malygos on the field, it would be impossible for a Shaman to clear either of the dragons without a Hex . Once JTUG comes out, Shaman has a way to deal 15 damage to everything on the board, so say goodbye to your minions.
Ragnaros The Firelord might be leaving Standard, but there are plenty of other beefy minions that die immediately to Volcano.
Garrosh Hellscream
Tirion Fordring
Ancient Of War
Archmage Antonidas
A whole board of N’zoth resurrections
Murlocs summoned by Anyfin Can Happen
Volcano won’t be auto included in every Shaman deck, but it might become a solid replacement for Elemental Destruction in Control Shaman. Aggro Shaman is getting a major hit once Year Of The Mammoth rolls around, so Shaman might even be fun to play again.
How do you like Volcano in Hearthstone? Tell us in the comments.
